Blessing or a Curse?
by Jessica Rochester
Summary: My first fan fiction! Embry has always wanted to imprint, to find his soul mate, but never has. Sophia Cullen is the human the Cullen's have raised as their own from birth. But can an imprint overcome everything, or will it turn out to be a curse? Set at the end of Eclipse/ beginning of Breaking Dawn. All characters property of Stephanie Meyer!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Embry's POV

"Embry? Hello? Earth to Embry?" A loud voice snapped into my consciousness and I jerked back to reality. My friend and fellow werewolf Colin was staring at me like he was having serious doubts as to my sanity.

"Sorry, what?" I mumbled.

"I said, can you pass me the wrench?" he said, pointing to the workbench on my left. I turned and reached for it and handed it to him, noting his raised eyebrows as I did so.

"I was just thinking," I explained.

His grin widened. "Not daydreaming about imprinting _again_ were you? You know, desperation is really not an attractive quality -"

I cut him off with a smack to the shoulder, and he responded by lunging for me, grasping me around my chest and hauling me onto my backside. We wrestled briefly – I was quicker than he was, but he was stronger, despite his young years and he finally pinned me, grinning.

"Give?"

"Give," I acquiesced. He got off me, and hauled me to my feet.

"Seriously though dude, it doesn't even look as though it's all it's cracked up to be. I mean, look at all the trouble Sam had," he pointed out. It was true. Sam Uley, the Alpha of the pack we belonged to, had imprinted just over a year ago, and had broken the heart of Leah, his girlfriend, in the process.

"Yeah, but look at Jared. His imprinting went fine, and now he and Kim are happy".

"Tell me about it," Colin said, rolling his eyes. We all knew exactly how happy Jared was, and _exactly_ how things were between him and Kim. When I looked at them, I saw a deep and unconditional love between them, a bond of happiness, acceptance and trust that would bond them for eternity. When I contrasted that to the bond my own mother had had with my father – or lack of it, given his abandonment of us both – I knew that an imprint was what I wanted. The other guys however found this highly amusing and never stopped teasing me about it, taking any chance to rib me about my "romantic delusions" as Jake called them. But then, I thought of Jake, our absent pack brother and remembered him pining over Bella Swan, a girl hopelessly in love with a vampire, and I wondered if it was me or him who had romantic delusions.

I clapped Colin on the back. "Well, I'm off. I gotta catch some serious sleep, man".

"Yeah, me too. I'm on patrol in four hours".

"Well then, you'd better get some beauty sleep then. God knows you need it!" I replied, laughing as I dodged the wrench he launched at me and left his makeshift garage. I wandered past his house along the dirt track that led to the centre of the town of La Push. I kicked a couple of stones out of my way and waved absently to a friend of my mothers who was walking along the opposite side of the track. As I rounded the corner to the road my house lay on, I suppressed a sigh. My mother would be waiting for me, no doubt annoyed and disappointed in her son who was apparently running wild and undisciplined, sneaking out of the house at all hours in defiance of her. I knew that I was actually a good son – Hell, I was a protector of La Push, and would lay down my life for anyone in this town as a result – but she didn't know that. It was fine Jake – his dad knew all about it. He didn't have to hide in his own house. He had tried to talk Sam into letting my mother in on the secret, but I had refused; the secret was more important. It was just really, really annoying at times. That was one of the reasons I wanted badly to imprint – so I could share my secret with someone who would understand and accept me.

I opened our front door and walked into the kitchen. I had timed it perfectly; dinner was on the cooker. My mum glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the door and smiled at me, glad that I was home at a decent time for once. I felt guilty instantly, knowing that I could never make her totally happy whilst I was a werewolf who had other duties besides school and homework and whilst her dreams for me involved University and a career far away from the place that held so many bad memories for her.

"Hi son, dinner in five, okay?" she said. I nodded and went to put on a shirt – one of the inconvenient things about being a wolf was the need for as few clothes as possibly. Shrugging into a shirt, my super-sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone walking up to the house. A closer listen revealed it was Seth Clearwater, a nice kid a year younger than me and my fellow werewolf, sent by his dad to bring over some of the fish he had caught whilst fishing earlier. All the neighbours were nice like that, and helped out here and there, and were considerate of my mother as a single parent.

"Embry!" My mum called. I went downstairs and mussed Seth's hair was as I passed him. "Hey, kid".

"Hey Embry!" He said enthusiastically.

"Seth's staying for dinner," my mum said, dishing up.

"Cool. So, what's up, kid?" I asked him. I didn't expect him to have much interesting news – since we had killed the vampire army amassing in Seattle, there hadn't been so much as a hint of a vampire nearby. He shrugged, indicating there was no important news involving vampires and then, grinning happily, he filled me in on all the gossip from his school, his house and the town as I tuned out.

"-and so apparently Sophia is off to Harvard. Clever girl, I guess," I caught the end of his long-winded story and shook my head, confused.

Wait, Sophia is that kid the Cullens adopted as a baby, right?" I asked.

"Yep" Seth nodded. "Carlisle found her alone and crying, near to death, and abandoned by her family. They took her and raised her as their own, as a daughter. She's just finished at Forks High School and she's going off to Harvard in the Autumn," he filled me in. I nodded, remembering what little I had heard of her from Jake. I wasn't sure that I was comfortable with the idea of a human being raised by vampires, but the Cullens had shown themselves to be strangely different from the murderous demons of our legends. The reason Seth knew about this was because he was a sort of unofficial liaison between us wolves and the vamps, since we had a sort of positive relationship since we had joined forces with them to defeat the vampire army. Sam wasn't totally happy with Seth being so close to the vampires but he was such a happy, innocent person that you couldn't help but like him, and he got on well with the vampires.

"Anyways, you'll probably see her at the wedding" Seth pointed out. I looked at him blankly, and then remembered. I was invited to Bella and Edward's wedding in a few weeks' time, and I nodded, my mind still on the fictional idea of a girl who could rule my heart one day, a girl for whom I would do anything, be anything….

Sophia's POV

I smiled as I looked at the dress hanging in my wardrobe. It was a pale blue, tight at the bust and then gracefully flared out to the knees, with some tastefully placed embroidery. It was my dress for the wedding of my brother Edward and my soon-to-be sister Bella that I had chosen this afternoon with my sister Rose in New York, before we flew back this evening. It seemed a long way to go to choose a dress, but as my sister Alice had said, fashion had no limits, financial, geographical or otherwise.

As I turned around to climb into bed, I jumped as I saw that my brother Emmett had let himself into my room silently and was sprawled across my bed grinning, watching me admire my new dress.

"Em! You made me jump", I accused him, advancing towards my bed.

He grinned even wider. "That, my dear sister, is my aim in life". I rolled my eyes. "Now that I can believe. Don't you have other people to annoy?"

He laughed. "Nope. Rose is also busy admiring at her new clothes from today". I smiled, knowing why – Rose had found some stunning clothes this afternoon, including a beautiful golden dress that nipped in at the waist and floated down to her calves, that she was going to wear to the wedding. I knew that I would look plain next to her no matter what I wore, but I knew she loved me like she loved no one else on Earth, so I didn't mind. Well, almost like no one else on Earth – she loved Emmett as her soul mate, her other half and eternal partner. Looking at them together, and at my mum and dad and Alice and Jasper, and now Edward and Bella, made me jealous as I had no other half. A few boys had shown some interest, but my brothers considered them unworthy and had subtly made hints to that effect, so I was still single. Yet I still yearned for a man to love and protect me, to be with me as my life partner for ever. As if he had caught the train of my thoughts, Em grinned at me.

"The dress is nice. Wearing it for anyone in particular? Going to try to upstage the bride, maybe?" he laughed, knowing that I was hoping to meet a special man. I laughed too, knowing no man would look at me twice in the same room as any of my sisters or my cousins Tanya, Kate and Irina who were coming from Denali for the wedding. Still, maybe there would be a guy at University. Harvard – I couldn't believe it. Someone to love me…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Embry's POV

"Aw, Mum, leave it out!" I complained, as she tugged at my only good suit, trying to straighten my tie. She smiled at the sight of me all dressed up, and I swear I started to see tears forming.

"If you're going to cry-" I started, before she cut me off.

"I think I can hear Sue", she said bustling off to the window to check. As I got into the car with Sue, Seth and Billy to go to the wedding, my mind was elsewhere. There had been no more vampires detected on the reservation since the army from Seattle, but we had been informed that there would be five travelling down from Denali to attend the wedding, so we should not be alarmed if we came across their scent. I wasn't bothered by this particularly as we had been assured that they would harm no humans; my easy-going nature was part of the reason I was allowed to attend the wedding, as I was not in danger of phasing in the presence of so many vampires. In a way, I was oddly pleased for Edward, though I felt Jacob's pain about his marriage to Bella, but I thought of him as almost a comrade, not a friend, but…not an enemy either.

However, this view would be challenged later on that evening. After the wedding, which, I had to admit, was pretty cool, there was dancing and food. I kept unconsciously gravitating towards the edge of the dance floor, although I had no partner to dance with and couldn't actually dance. I didn't know why, but I felt like I had to be close to the dancers, to the partners whirling on the floor whilst petals drifted amongst them, a mix of humans and Cullen's. I had yet to meet Sophia, the human daughter of the vampires that Seth had told me about. I was wondering idly if he had a little crush on her when I heard the disturbance outside. Jake had come to see Bella, an action he had decided on only at the last moment, and part of the reason I was there was to be a sort of back-up, in case he couldn't handle it. Which, apparently, he couldn't. I hurried past the guests to the shadows behind the main dance floor where I saw Jake and Bella, and saw the shakes beginning to roll down his arms. But then a figure stepped out of the shadows to cradle an upset Bella in her arms. And I then didn't see Jake anymore. All I saw… was _her_.

Sophia's POV

I saw Jasper and Emmett looking tense at the edge of the dance floor as I turned in the arms of my Uncle Eleazar, come Denali for the wedding, who was spinning me about the floor with practised ease. I giggled as we spun, but looked back over my shoulder at my brothers, and Eleazar saw the direction of my eyes.

""Is anything wrong?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of a Spanish accent.

"I don't know" I said, frowning. He spun me expertly towards my brother sand deposited me safely next to them, leaving me free to talk to them. I smiled my thanks at him as he went to dance with his partner Carmen.

"What's wrong?" I asked them curiously. Jasper looked at me, his eyebrows mashed together in worry.

"It's Bella," he explained. "Jacob came back but he is angry at her, at Edward…We may have to intervene". I followed the direction of his gaze and spotted Bella stood several feet away from Jacob, who had raised his voice to the extent that I could hear him from here, partially hidden though they were.

"I'll go help Bella" I decided. Em pulled at my hand.

"It might not be safe, sis," he said, with a worried expression, as over protective as ever.

"I'll be fine" I promised him. "Bella is with him, he would never change near her". His eyes creased in worry, but I slipped my hand from his and walked quickly over to her. I saw the tears beginning to pool in her eyes, and I pulled her into my arms. As I did so, I heard a loud gasp.

"_No_. No!" I heard Edward snap as he stared at something behind me, and I saw the shaking that was gripping Jake's body halt as he too saw what Edward saw. Bella pulled away from me in confusion and gasped. I turned in confusion and searched for what had upset them all. It was a man, tall, Indian, presumably Quileute, with cropped black hair that shone in the light glow that emanated from the dance floor, and he had the most beautiful dark brown eyes I had ever seen. What halted me was the expression on his face. He looked like he had seen light for the first time, like a biologist discovering a new, fantastic species of animal, like a treasure hunter unearthing a long-lost tomb. With a jolt, I realised he was looking at me…

Please review! It's my first fanfic, so I would appreciate comments telling me what I am doing right/wrong!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sophia's POV

I regarded the man staring at me in disbelief. I had no idea who he was or what he wanted, but judging by everyone else's reactions, this was not good. He began to take a step towards me, but a vicious snarl erupted from behind me, and my brother Jasper advanced from behind me to assume a protective position in front of me.

"No. It can't be…" Edward muttered under his breath, staring at the man. Jasper set his jaw.

"Yes, it can," he said, glaring at the man, who had halted his attempts to move forwards. I gave a slight start; I had forgotten that Edward could hear what Jasper was thinking, and could also hear the assessment that Jasper had made of the emotions he could feel emanating from the man. Clearly, this couldn't be a good thing, or my brothers wouldn't be so upset.

"Hey, it is not his fau-" Jake began, but was cut off by Edward, who whipped his head around to stare at him.

"Don't you even _think_ about defending him, dog, after everything you have just said!" he said, a slither of menace in his tone. Bella shifted slightly in his arms, but she had an expression of horror mixed with…happiness? On her face. She obviously knew what was going on. I decided now was the time to clarify exactly what was going on.

"Jasper, what is going on here? I heard Bella and Jacob arguing and now-"

"And now what?" my brother Emmett's booming voice interrupted me. He sauntered forwards, as at ease as ever, as he mussed my hair and stood next to Jasper. He noted Jasper's defensive positioning and his tone darkened.

"If they're giving you any trouble, I'll deal with them," he promised. With a flash of insight, I made the connection – Emmett had said "deal with them", as if Jacob and the strange (and, if I was totally honest, rather good-looking) man were connected. Were they friends?

"Trouble? Trouble! This isn't trouble, this is madness! A madness that will end _now_," Jasper commanded, staring at the man. For the first time, the man spoke.

"This isn't madness. This isn't something I can control. I didn't choose this!" he said in a melodious tone. "But I am so glad it happened. She's – " His sentence was cut off by growls from all three of my brothers.

"Jasper, Emmett, what is going on?" came a calm voice from my left side. My father, immaculate in his suit, had reached us. Noting Jasper's tense pose in front of me, he looked at me in concern. "Sophia, are you well? What is wrong?" he asked, placing one hand on my forehead to check my temperature.

"It's not her. It's_ him_," Edward hissed, jerking his chin towards the man. "He's imprinted on her". Given my dad's sharp intake of breath, I gathered this was important. Jake shook his head in disbelief, and Bella gave a hint of a smile.

"Woah," said Emmett, looking at the man again. His expression changed. "That is my sister you are talking about there!" He began to advance towards the man, who was still staring at me in wonder, but my father placed his hand on Em's shoulder to still him.

"People will begin to notice our absence," he pointed out. "Edward, you should take Bella back to the dance floor. Jacob, I suggest you and Embry leave now, and Jasper, take Sophia inside". Jasper turned to me and pulled me towards the house. Embry, my dad had said. Embry? That was the strange man's name…As my brother's whisked me back to the house, I twisted to look back, and saw Embry with an anguished look on his face, and saw Jake pull him back into the forest as he tried to follow me.

My brother's wouldn't explain what had gone on, just that I should stay inside, with some of the guests who had retired to rest in the living room. I did however snatch a minute with Bella, in between Alice, Mum and Bella's mum Renee getting her changed.

"Bella…" I whispered. She looked at me, wide-eyed with happiness and joy. Impulsively, I hugged her. "I am so happy to have you as my sister," I told her. "But what happened earlier? Who is Embry? What is imprinting?" I asked desperately. She smiled.

"I don't have time to explain it right now. But I've seen imprints at work – and they are wonderful things. You will be so happy!" Just then, Alice came back so we couldn't talk. As I wished her a happy honeymoon, I wondered about her words. Would it be me next who would find happiness?

Embry's POV

As I stood there, I couldn't stop staring at her. She was just…perfection. I couldn't imagine anyone else being anywhere near as perfect as her; I had idly noticed a few girls on the dance floor, but I now couldn't even understand why I had looked at them. Everything, every thought that I had, every loyalty, every emotion I had ever had and would ever have, now centred on her. She was the one, the one I was meant to be with. I now understood the draw I had felt towards the dance floor earlier – it was not the dance floor I was drawn to, but her. She had been there, and I had to be near her. It was as simple as that…

But few things are as simple as that. Her brothers were there, and then the gentle blonde leader, Carlisle, showed up, and had her taken inside. I tried to follow – every step that took her further away from me became a physical pain in my chest. But Jake yanked me away, stronger than I, and I craned my head to get one last glance of her. I clung to the promise that Carlisle had made after she left…

"We will sort this out, but not now. Not at my son's wedding," he said solemnly, looking at me. I gazed back at him, wordlessly hoping that he could somehow understand, that he could maybe somehow see just what I felt for her. Her…whose name I didn't even know. Guessing from her interactions with the vamps, and the protective positions they had assumed over her the minute they believed I was a threat, I guessed that she was the human they had adopted. Sophia…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Embry's POV

Jake frog-marched me to the edge of the forest, far from the Cullen's house, and every step away from Sophia deepened the pain in my chest, which commanded me to return to her side. He stopped, and let go of me, then turned to go back into the forest.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, confused.

"More like, what are you doing, man? Her, the leech's kid? Bella's new sister?" he shook his head.

"Hey, you know I can't help it," I said, although at the sound of her name, the pain in my chest seemed to ease somewhat.

"I know, man, I know. I just wish it wasn't this complicated. Anyways, I'm gonna phase and call a meeting. This affects us all." I nodded, and he loped easily through the forest, already beginning to shake. Within a few seconds, a piercing howl ripped through the air, and I knew that my brothers would respond immediately. I waited until I heard the first footfalls of my pack brothers break the silence, then began to take off my suit. All I could think about was Sophia, and my need to be with her – it wasn't the kind of thing that could be assuaged by a "there, there, you will see her soon" and a pat on the head. I now belonged to her, and belonged at her side, and the pain at the thought of not being able to be with her was unbearable. I quickly called to the wolf within me, the fire rippling across my body, and I assumed the shape of my other self.

I padded to where Jake and the others were gathering, who already knew from Jake's thoughts what was going on. They had mixed emotions. I recognized in the thoughts of my brothers who had imprinted – Quil, Sam, Jared and Paul- the sense of centre in our worlds now, how we knew unequivocally where we belonged in this life, that is, at the side of our imprints. The sense of love that tinged their every thought was the same as mine now. Seth was genuinely pleased for me, Colin a little apprehensive, wondering if it would be him next. Leah…Leah was unhappy. Someone else had imprinted, and it wasn't her, and every thought she had was bitter. She wasn't happy for me at all, she was merely jealous.

"Well…this changes things," Sam thought to all of us, as I joined the loosely arranged circle of my brothers and sister.

"Yep. How the hell is this going to work if she's a leech's daughter? I mean, that's downright stupid. They'll never let her see him and then we'll all be miserable!" Leah thought maliciously, and I growled at her, at the unthinkable suggestion that I might never see Sophia again. The pain of it pinned me to my place, unable to move or breathe as that horrifying possibility rolled over me. The entire pack felt it, and whined in distress, snarling quietly at Leah.

"Silence, Leah!" Sam thought. She huffed, but hung her head slightly. "But she has a point, Embry. As their daughter, we are now part of their family in a way, through you. But we do not know how they will react to this." In his thoughts he pulled up my memory of Jasper and Emmett Cullen's defensive reactions to me.

I sighed mentally. "I don't know. He promised, though!" I recalled the promise of Carlisle. The others hesitated. He had shown himself to be trustworthy, but it still went against the grain to become so dependent on a promise made by one of them.

"We can see what happens. Bella has my number, she can give it to them to call us. Wait to see…" Jake suggested. There was general agreement among the pack. We would wait for them to make the first move, and to see what their reaction was; there was just a general feeling of unease. This situation was more complicated than any other before this – Sam's imprinting on the cousin of his girlfriend was upsetting for all involved, and it was awkward that Quil had imprinted on a baby, but this was different. No matter how friendly the Cullen's were, I had imprinted on the daughter of the enemy…

Sophia's POV

Once my parents had finished showing the guests out, I started to walk up to my mother, but was halted by my sister Rose, who flung her cold, hard arms around me.

"It's alright, it's OK," she soothed, stroking my hair. I blinked in surprise.

"Rose? What's alright?" I pulled back to study her face. "Do you what went on outside? Who is Embry, and why was he staring at me like -?" But I was cut off mid-sentence by Rose turning sharply on her heel. "Emmett! You didn't say he was _leering_ at her!" she accused her husband shrilly.

He held up his hands. "He wasn't! Do you think Jasper and I would have let him live if he had? He was just looking at her, then they left," he defended himself. My mother joined us, taking me carefully in her arms, but I would not be dissuaded.

"Mum! What is going on?" She smoothed my hair away from my face.

"We are not sure, dear. It appears that Embry has –. "

"_Imprinted _on her! Hah, more like some excuse, he sees a beautiful girl, and wants to find a way to get back at her family!" Rose interrupted. Em placed his hand on her shoulder in a gentle reproof, and she subsided.

"What is imprinting?" I asked my mother.

"We think it is the way by which a wolf finds their…partner" she said, choosing her words with care. I stared at her in disbelief.

"Their _partners_? What, as in…" I shook my head. What exactly was he thinking when he looked at me? My thoughts were interrupted by my father.

"We need this sorted out. I gave them my word," he said, holding up a hand to forestall Rose's protests. "Bella gave us Jacob's telephone number before she left. We will arrange a meeting."

Embry's POV

There was a knock on the door, which I answered glumly. Jake reached into my house and pulled me outside. Together we walked to Emily' place, Jake refusing to say a word the whole way. As we entered the kitchen, the others were assembled. Sam looked grim, but Emily smiled at me as I entered and gestured to the table, where a pile of brownies waited. As I hurried to take my share, Sam began to talk.

"Jacob has received a call from the Cullen's. They wish to meet us." My heart jerked in response to the thought of seeing her again. "We will meet at the boundary line at midnight tomorrow." So long without seeing her…

"And we must go prepared," Sam continued. "We do not know their intentions. We must go prepared…for a fight."

Hey, thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me! Please continue to review, it really makes my day Please tell me if you want some action in the next chapter or not, I haven't really had any action so far as I wanted to develop the characters some more, but if you think the story would be better with a battle, please let me know! Hope you like this chapter, this has been my favourite to write so far.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Hey! Thank you guys so much for your reviews, they mean a lot. This chapter actually came out of the blue for me – it was going in a completely different direction but I changed my mind at the last moment when an idea hit me. I hope it works! Please Review!

Sophia's POV

"But why can't I come?" I asked, perplexed and slightly angry. Seated in the dining room, at the head of the table surrounded by my family, I looked at them all, their faces grave. My Mum reached over to touch my hand.

"Because we feel that this situation is one that it is best we deal with as easily, and as calmly as possible, dear," she said soothingly. "If you are there, we will be on edge worrying about you, and we need to understand what is going on as calmly as possible," she explained. I started to open my mouth, but was cut off by my dad.

"Sophia, we have your best interests at heart, and we can't know exactly what we are dealing with until we speak with Sam and the others, so we need to talk rationally to them," my dad pointed out. "We love you too much to place you in potential danger – as uch as I trust Sam, we don't know anything about imprinting, or the actions it may leave them to take," and my family seconded this with nods.

"We won't _ever_ let you walk into potential danger," Rose promised me. Jasper and Em nodded, their eyes fiercely protective. So it was decided – I was staying behind.

Embry's POV

"We will sort this, Embry," Sam assured me, placing a hand on my tense shoulder. We were assembled in the forest, at the edge of the boundary line, myself and Sam in human form and Quil, Jake and Jared in wolf form at our flanks. The others were scattered slightly further along the line, deeper in the forest, in case they were needed. Only Leah and Paul were not there – Paul was the most easily angered member of the pack, and Leah the most likely to make a bitter comment, so it was decided that in the name of diplomacy, they would remain in La Push.

I nodded at my Alpha, feeling the deep yearning inside of me that I hoped would be soothed by a visit to Sophia. We knew from the phone call that she would not be present, but I hoped we could come to an arrangement that meant I would see her. A low whine behind me suggested that the vampires were near. As we watched, they advanced to stand near the line also, with Carlisle and the two main fighters of the coven – I tried to recall their names from our previous alliance, Jasper, and Emmett, maybe? – at the front. Sam stepped forward and inclined his head; Carlisle did likewise.

"I must confess, we are at somewhat of a loss as to the situation here," Carlisle began. "We have not heard of imprinting before other than in passing, and do not know exactly what it entails,"

"It is the means by which a wolf finds their soul mate," Sam began. At his words, the blonde vampire shuddered and began to speak before being hushed abruptly by Carlisle.

"My apologies," Carlisle said. "Please, continue," and in response, Sam nodded.

"After phasing for the first time, a wolf may then be subject to imprinting, although it is not a guarantee. Once he sees her, he then becomes irrevocably tied to her, to her well-being and to her happiness. Nothing else matters, other than her. We have no control over it – it is involuntary. Embry did not choose to imprint on Sophia."

Carlisle nodded slowly, but Alice and Rose shook their heads.

"We are not happy about this," Alice said bluntly. "Sophia is our beloved member of our family. No matter our previous alliance with you, you have made it clear that you detest vampires. We consider her our family, and she is to go to University in September, and from the sounds of it, this imprint makes would put a stop to that,"

Before Sam could stop me, I spoke.

"I wouldn't want to stop her – all I want is what is best for her! I would go anywhere with her, be anything for her. It's not like it sounds…" I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth.

The blonde vampire snarled, as did Emmett and Jasper. "Never will you think of her like _that_!" Emmett exclaimed. "She is my sister, and you will not even _think_ about her like that," and Jasper nodded, his eyes cool.

Sam glared at me before he spoke again. "You misunderstand us. Whilst some imprints result in…relationships, it is not inevitable. An imprint revolves around the needs of the one on whom a wolf has imprinted. Another member of my pack has imprinted on a child – and the only thoughts he harbours for her are protective. Embry will be whatever Sophia requires him to be, and if that is only a friend then it will be so". I nodded fervently in agreement, hoping my sincerity shone through.

Carlisle hesitated. "If we could make it so that they met…as_ friends_ only," he stressed, "in a neutral location, in Forks perhaps…"

Sam nodded. "At the Diner at midday?" he suggested. "With a chaperone if you wish." Carlisle nodded, as did Esme.

Delight bloomed in my heart. I would see her tomorrow, I could be near her. Just being near her was enough.

Sophia's POV

I awoke suddenly from my sleep. It was late at night; gone past the time my family had left to meet the wolves. There was a creak outside of my room, and I sat up, afraid.

"Em?" I asked. Sometimes my playful brother liked to tease me. The door opened, and in the gloom I made out a small figure. I sat up further.

"Mum?" The figure shook her head and advanced towards the bed. I switched on my lamp, and blinked in the sudden light. Then I gasped. The woman had copper coloured skin, and short black hair, and a grimace on her face. Then she spoke.

"Get up."

"Who are you?" I asked. "What do you want?"

"What I want is for all of this to be sorted. So that everyone stops thinking about it, stops going on about it. I mean, a bloodsucker's kid? Why you and not me?"

I sat back in alarm. I didn't totally understand, but her anger frightened me.

"But…who are you?" I stuttered out.

She stared at me in contempt, as though deciding whether to answer.

"Leah. I'm in the pack, and I am fed up of all this drama. All this reminding me of what I don't have. So get up, an come with me." She reached for me, and I scrambled away from her, but there was surprising strength in her arms.

"No! Get off me!" I shouted, but I knew her strength was greater than mine, and that it would only be a matter of time before I was taken…

Esme's POV

We slowed to a walk as we approached the house. I was ready to sweep my daughter up in my arms, but I knew she would be sleeping, so I would have to content myself with a kiss to her forehead. Her sweet head, with the long dark brown hair that covered her shoulders…I did not like the idea of my daughter being with a wolf –as nice as they had proved to be when fighting the newborn army, I worried incessantly over my beloved daughter, as did all of my family. As I entered her room, I gasped. The sound alerted the others, who silently rushed to my side. The covers on Sophia's bed were half way off the bed, her bedside table had been knocked over and a glass of water had spilt all over the floor.

"Sophia? SOPHIA!" My voice rose to a screech, as I ran frantically around the room, searching for my daughter. But I couldn't find her.

She was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Sophia's POV

I huffed impatiently and shot the girl a glare. It had been an hour since she had kidnapped me, thrown me into a battered car she had borrowed and forced me to La Push, to her house. Her mother was not home when she manhandled me into the house and locked me in; since then, all we had done is sit in silence and wait.

"What do you hope to achieve here?" I asked to break the silence. "I don't even know your name! What do you want from me?"

"Shut up. You will see soon enough, and then everyone can stop whining about the "situation" you have caused!" she said venomously.

I sat back in alarm. "What _situation_? I haven't done anything!"

She sneered. "If it weren't for you, this would never have happened. We wouldn't feel like this everything we phase. I wouldn't feel like this!"

I began to ask what she meant, but before I could, the door opened, and a tall teenager walked in. He started when he saw me.

"Leah?" So that was her name, I thought. "What's going on?" Before she could answer, I got straight in there with my answer.

"She has kidnapped me is what's happened!" I blurted out. His eyes widened.

"Leah?! What have you done? What will Sam say? And Embry is gonna freak! We just got things sorted with the vamps and you go and do this!" he exclaimed. Amongst the fear, I wondered idly how he knew who I was, before remembering what Edward had said about them – they had a mind link when in wolf form. He would have recognised me from Jacob and Embry's memories.

Her expression was unrepentant. "Well, now there's no need to sort things out, is there? She's here, she'll stay in La Push, marry Embry and they'll be as happy as the others are, happier than me, like everyone else is," she said evenly. My mind whirled. WHAT? Stay here in La Push – not go home to my family? Marry Embry – I hardly knew him! I stood up.

"I'm leaving! I don't know either of you, but I do know that I don't want to be here; I'm going home to my family." I looked at the boy. "Please, can you tell me how to get home?"

Leah shook her head. "Don't tell her anything, Seth! She can stay here, and not go home to that _family_ of leeches." His face was uncertain.

"I don't know, Leah…if she wants to go home, we can't keep her here," he said reasonably.

"She'll be better off here than with a bunch of blood-suckers," Leah growled.

"We should at least tell Sam," he said, and Leah hesitated before nodding grudgingly. The boy named Seth crossed to the other wall and picked up the phone off the wall. He dialled, and after a few short words, hung up.

About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door; Seth went to answer it. A very tall man, who was similar in looks to the other wolves I had seen, entered. He saw me, and his eyes widened.

"Seth? Leah? What is this?" he asked in a deep, authoritative voice.

"I solved the problem for you. Here she is, and you now don't need to deal with leeches anymore," Leah explained.

"My family aren't _leeches_," I shouted. "They are my family, and they love me. I want to go home!"

"How did she get here?" the man, whom I presumed to be Sam, asked.

"She took me from my bed!" I said, heatedly. Sam turned to Leah, who hesitated, looking less confident than previously.

"Leah? Is this true?" Sam asked quietly, but with an undercurrent of authority.

"I had to. Embry's been mooning about her all week, and so I figured the best way to stop him complaining was to bring her here," she finished defiantly.

"To bring her here? Without her consent? Without discussing it with us first? We had just finished agreeing that Embry could see her again, we were sorting the problem, and you have jeopardized that!" Sam's voice rose to a terrifying crescendo, causing both Seth and Leah to cringe back from the power emanating from his voice.

"I knew you were upset about what happened. I understand that, Leah. I feel so guilty about leaving you for Emily, you know I do. Every day I feel an intense guilt for the harm that I have done you. But to kidnap an innocent girl to try to make yourself feel better, but which could ultimately end in pain for the whole pack – that is enough, Leah!" he barked. He paced back and forth, fury echoing from his every movement. Leah appeared frozen to her seat.

"We should call Embry and let him know," Seth ventured quietly. Sam gave no sign of hearing him as he paced, but the stopped and nodded. He looked at me.

"Sophia, I am very, very sorry for Leah's actions. They reflect badly upon both her and the whole pack." I nodded, not quite able to forgive her just yet.

"Please, come with me," he said, walking to the door. I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I did not want to stay with Leah so I rose and followed Sam. We left the house, and walked quickly out to a dirt track. We walked in silence for several minutes, as I sensed he was still angry, before we approached a small house with a red front door. Sam walked in without knocking.

Embry's POV

I sat in my living room, watching the television whilst pondering the events of the day. I was ecstatic at the thought of seeing Sophia tomorrow, and the ache in my heart actually seemed to be lessening by the minute. I heard footsteps outside my house, and thought it would be Jake and Embry. However, it was not them who walked into my living room, but Sam, who wore an angry look on his face. I rose from my seat in alarm, and then saw that he was not alone. The reason my aching heart had felt better was explained, because my heart was standing there in my doorway. It was Sophia.

"Sophia!" I exclaimed, striding forward, but Sam placed his hand on my shoulder in restraint. She shrank back against the door, and fear danced over my body.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" I demanded, frantic at her scared expression. I couldn't understand – I couldn't see what was wrong – I wanted to fix it – she shouldn't be afraid – I needed to help her.

"Leah kidnapped her and brought her to La Push whilst we were speaking with the Cullen's. I brought her here – we need to get her back to her home, before they come looking for her" he said. The icy fear in my heart was replaced by a fiery hatred. Leah had done this – had put my the expression of fear on Sophia's face, had placed in jeopardy our arrangement that meant I could see Sophia, the only reason for my existence.

"Embry! Calm down!" Sam commanded, puling me further into the living room, away from Sophia. I then noticed the shakes rolling down my arm, and realised I was close to phasing. I stopped immediately, in horror that I could have phased so close to Sophia. I could have killed her; I could have maimed her like Sam had harmed Emily. Sickened by this idea, I could barely speak.

"Sophia – I, I'm so sorry. I just – I can't believe she has done this. Everything sorted…" I whispered.

"I want to go home," she murmured softly. I was instantly diverted – f she needed to go home, I had to take her home, I had to do anything I could to help her. I nodded.

"Of course, I'll take you. I can borrow my mum's car…no, she has it, she's out this evening. I will have to borrow Sue's," I said.

"She will let you. Leah owes you after this," Sam said. "Let's get her home, quickly, before her family come looking for her. I will go to Jake's and call them from there – he has their number, they gave it to him when they called. Will you be alright?" I nodded.

"I will take care of her," I vowed.

He nodded. "Afterwards, I will deal with Leah." He left, apologizing to Sophia again as he left.

I walked slowly towards Sophia, careful not to scare her.

"I won't hurt you, honey. Please, let's go outside." She nodded and turned to walk outside. I followed her as closely as I could, and led the way back to Leah and Seth's house. I walked close to her, unable to leave her side.

"You're cold," I noticed, seeing her hands rub up against one another for warmth. I reached to take one of her hands in my unnaturally-warm hand. She flinched, and I immediately pulled my hand away. "I just want you to be warm. My body temperature is higher than yours," I said, very slowly reaching for her hand again, watching for any sign that she didn't want to touch me. Her hand was soft and smooth, and our hands fitted together like they were born to fit together. I relaxed slightly, and we walked on.

As we approached, Leah came out. Fury rippled through me, but I kept it together for Sophia's sake.

Sophia's POV

I saw her come out of the house, and I felt Embry's hand tense in mine.

"We need to use your car," he said to Leah, and I could hear the control in his voice as he spoke.

"No – she needs to stay! Then we can stop all this pain, all this pathetic yearning for her!" Leah shrieked in response. She made a sudden lunge for me, to try to grab me into the house, and I fell, scraping my arm on a rock in the driveway. Embry immediately sprang to my defence, vibrating rapidly before assuming the shape of a giant grey wolf. Leah too phased, and the two of them threw themselves at the other. The two wolves clashed, teeth snapping, claws raking, and fearsome snarls emerged from the wolf who had previously been Embry. I was paralysed in horror, knowing that Embry was defending me, and Leah trying to prevent me from leaving, but I could not stop them fighting. I scrambled to my feet, only knowing that I had to leave, I had to leave the snarling wolves, had to get back to my family. I stumbled towards the forest, running as fast as I could, blood trickling down my arm. I turned left and right at random, until I fell and heard a snap. The pain from my wrist sent shockwaves down my arm, joining the wrench in my ankle and the stabbing pains in my chest. I whimpered, feeling more blood fall down my face from a cut to my cheek. I tried to get up, but fell back in agony, unable to move. I was freezing, alone, in the middle of a forest and injured, unable to get home….

What do you think? Please Review! Constructive criticism and reviews welcome


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Hi, sorry for the delay! I kept starting this chapter and then getting distracted. I will post another tomorrow to make up for it! Please review

Sophia's POV

I drifted in and out of consciousness. There seemed to be no way of telling what was real, and what was not. I heard faint voices that grew louder and then dimmed, and I felt stabs of pain as I shifted, trying to catch the streams of light that seemed to be dancing around me. I moaned, the sound cutting through the still air as I tried to focus. I heard a rustling near me and tried to twist towards it, but body wasn't working correctly. I then heard quick footfalls – someone was running, hard. No – two someone's.

"She's here!" I heard a masculine voice call, and I felt two burning hands on my shoulders, trying to gently shift me onto my back. I heard a whimpering noise so alive with pain that I winced to hear it.

"Sophia!" I heard Embry call, his voice constricted with agony and I realised the whimper was his. His face swam into view, and I felt his hands replace the hands on my shoulders – I saw now that they were Sam's – and he cradled my head in his lap.

"Howl to alert the Cullen's'," I heard Sam order to someone, and a few seconds later a howl ripped through the air. Blearily, I noticed it was the day time. I tried to form words, but I couldn't do it. Embry smoothed my hair away from my forehead and frantically tried to calm me.  
"Shush, honey, it's alright, you're safe," he said, his own panic belying his words. I shifted slightly but even this slight movement forced a constricted howl of pain through my lips, and I saw Embry's frantic gaze, desperate to calm me.

"Sam!" he called. "What can I do? She's in pain, she's hurt – I need to help – I –," his frantic words choked out, his words blurring into one indistinguishable stream. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hand land on Embry's shoulder, and I heard Sam's deep voice.

"They are on their way, don't worry. They will help. Tear a strip off her t-shirt and hold it to the cut on her head, it is bleeding quite a lot…" his voice trailed off as he inspected my injuries more closely, I felt Embry's red hot hands brush my stomach as he tore a strip off of my t-shirt, and a tiny part of my mind remembered Alice had given it to me and that she would be horrified at the treatment of such a pretty top. I felt a strong, yet gentle, pressure on my head and I gasped quietly from the pain. I also heard a muted growl far to my left, which momentarily distracted Sam.

"They must be close," he murmured he raised his head and sniffed, and then nodded as if in confirmation of the fact. I heard no sound but then my father's face was above mine, ,eyes wide and burning with fear.

"Sophia? Where does it hurt?" he asked, sweeping my body for injuries.

"Dear, it's alright, you will be alright. Don't worry, we are here," my mother said, her soothing tones washing over me, and I felt her cool hand hold my least-sore hand as she watched my father gently asses the damage.

I moaned, and a tear slid from eye. Suddenly, my head – which had been resting on Embry's lap – hit the floor with a sudden jerk as Embry was pulled out from under me. Howls ripped out of the forest as wolves advanced on us and I saw Sam rise to his feet and begin to shake slightly.

"What the _hell_ happened?!" I heard Em's deep voice demand.

"How could you let this happen to her?" Jasper added, his voice quieter than Em's but filled with a deep hatred, and I could imagine the ferocious expression his face wore at the moment.

"I didn't –," I heard him begin, and I could see that although he was shaking, his eyes remained on me.

"Well, then, _dog_, how did this happen?" Rose hissed, a snarl ripping from her throat.

"She ran away – I was trying to protect her -," he began. I winced as my father began to gently straighten me so that I could be more easily carried, and Embry moved as though to come to me, but he was thrown backwards by Em. Embry's brothers moved towards him, enormous wolves that reminded me of Leah and made me shake at the memory.

"Shh, darling, it will be alright, we will get you home now," my mum whispered tenderly.

My father looked up. "She needs to come home now, where I can better assess her injuries. She has lost a lot of blood – it needs replacing immediately," he said in a quiet, but firm voice. He spoke mainly to Sam, one leader to another, and Sam, still with one eye on the tension unfolding between us, nodded.

"Yes, she must be looked after," he said authoritatively. He signalled to the wolves, who stared at him as though in disbelief, but who backed off slightly.

My father leaned over me, taking me gently in his arms; my mother supported my head. Embry again made a small movement as though he were to follow, but stopped before he could be pushed back. His face was a mask of anguish.

"Please - can I not see her?" he whispered. "Help take her home?"

A volley of snarls came from my siblings, and suggested that in no way was he to be allowed anywhere near me. Even my father, normally so compassionate and kind, was firm.

"I think that is not wise at the moment, Embry," he said. "I need to care for her. Alone," he said, forestalling Embry's offers of help.

"Don't even think about it!" I heard Rose hiss, before my vision began to fade into darkness…

All I could feel was pain, like I was swimming in it – like I was drowning in it.

"I couldn't see….until now," I heard someone murmur.

"But…what does it mean?" I heard another voice ask, worried.

Embry's POV

All I could feel was agony rolling through my body, clutching and tearing at every nerve in my body, and I thought I would go mad with it – but I couldn't. Not whilst she was here, not whilst she walked the earth, could I lose my sanity because I had to be with her. If she ever left the earth – I didn't want my sanity or my life either. I stood, torn between following her father as he cradled her whilst he took her back to her home, and torn between staying to try to resolve my issues with her family so that I could see her again. Indecision rooted me to the ground, before a gasp brought me back to reality. The little black-haired vampire, Alice, was stood as though in a trance.

"What?" Jasper asked, his hands enfolding hers protectively. She rocked back in fear and a moan escaped her.

"What, Alice?" Jasper demanded urgently. His eyes swept around us, searching for danger, as he slipped into a defensive crouch.

"It's Sophia," she choked out, and immediately my attention was riveted on Alice, desperate for information concerning my beloved one.

"Before, when _he_" – she jerked her head in my direction "-saw Sophia, I lost her future, I couldn't see it anymore, because her future was entwined with him, and I can't see wolves. But now – I can see her future," she said hoarsely. My mind boggled, trying to comprehend. So…if she couldn't see wolves and she could now see Sophia, that meant I wasn't with Sophia….Horror cut through me like a knife.

"But…" Alice's voice trailed off. She closed her eyes briefly, and then finished. "In my vision, Sophia is…dead."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Hi, here is the next update, as promised! I'm away for a few days now, will update as soon as I get back! Please review!

Sophia's POV

The world swam groggily into view, and my hearing grew clearer and sharper.

"Sophia, darling?" I heard my father call softy to me. I struggles to raise my head and felt a light retraining pressure on my shoulder that told me to stop.

"What…" I murmured, confused. My mother's hand caressed my face, and lightly touched my hair.

"It's alright, dear. You're safe now," she said.

"What…happened?" I asked. My dad answered me.

"You ran away from the reservation and fell. You have broken your wrist, several ribs, and badly sprained your ankle; you also have a nasty cut to your head, although the blood loss from it was not life-threatening. You are safe, Sophia, safe at home where you belong," he said, but I noticed that he flicked a glance at my mother before readjusting my IV.

"Where is everybody? I remember they were shouting…" I said, trying to remember and failing.

"Everybody is fine," my mother soothed. "They are downstairs – as soon as you are feeling a bit better you can see them".

I struggled to sit up. "I'm fine! I want to see them," I argued, but I then invalidated my argument by hissing in pain as m ribs protested at any movement.

"No," my father said, as sternly as my father ever was. He smiled. "You are very precious to us and we couldn't bear to lose you." I smiled in surrender, and settled back on my pillows to drift back to sleep….

I woke up feeling a bit better later on. Em mock-punched my shoulder.

"Better luck next time, little sis! Wolves might be a bit out of your league to take on, you know," he teased.

"I'll bear it in mind the next time," I laughed, Rose and Alice's features snapped into scowls.

"There will not be a _next time_," they growled in unison. I sat back slightly, alarmed by their fearsome expressions.

"What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly. "I mean, I was scared when they started fighting, but it wasn't their fault I ran off..." I halted, alerted by their expressions.

"No. It was their fault. You will not see them again," Jasper said firmly. My mouth fell open in shock. Not see Embry again? But…this wasn't his fault. As scared as I was, I felt a connection to him. When he had held my hand, it was as though our hands were made to fit together; like they were made to be together. I had to see him again…

"But I want to…" I faltered.

"No. You will not leave this house without one of us accompanying you. We cannot risk anything happening to you," Jasper said, his expression softening as he spoke. Even Em nodded soberly. I sensed there was something they were concerned about…something they weren't telling me. My mum and dad had acted oddly, my siblings banning me from going anywhere alone – what were they keeping from me?

Embry's POV

Inside of me was burning up. I couldn't think anymore. Since the little vampire's sighting that Sophia would…I couldn't even say the word, but since then I had been unable to think clearly. She was obviously in danger, a danger that none of us could understand. But I didn't care what it was; only that it did not harm her. If she was in danger, I would protect her. That was the absolute law of imprinting. She had to survive, no matter the cost to you. I looked up at Sam.

"I want to see her," I said hoarsely. His expression was one of extreme sympathy, and I felt one of my brothers briefly touch my shoulder.

"But we must proceed with caution. Leah's actions reflect badly on all of us, and we don't know how the vampire's will react to this. We must be careful," he continued. His words tore at my heart – I knew he was right but I wanted to charge up there and cradle her in my arms, and tell her….tell her everything. Everything about how much I loved her, how I needed her…

"A phone call," Jared suggested. "Not to their house, any of them could pick up, but to the hospital where their leader is. Get him there, he is most likely to listen." We all considered in silence. Most of my brothers nodded reluctantly. They all felt my paint through the mind link and were anxious to help me but this path meant delay, whilst we contacted him and waited for his response. A delay meant more pain, but they could not see any other way around it.

Sam nodded. He left to go to Emily's house to make the call and most of my brothers left as well, either to go on patrol or to see their own imprints. I sighed, wishing it was as easy to see mine. Every thought I had was coloured by a soul-searing ache for her. I didn't know what I would do without her, as there had only been one case previously in our entire history where a wolf's imprint had rejected the wolf, causing him indescribable pain. He was, however, unable to free himself from her and instead had to watch her from afar, denied the chance to be with her, and watch her love another. For a wolf, this situation was literally torture, and he had to live with it for every day of the rest of his life…until she died and the pain was even greater, until it consumed him utterly. I shuddered – the thought of being without her, the pain…I _had_ to find a way to be with her.

Sophia's POV

I heard the sounds of an argument coming from downstairs and I stirred a little. My mum stroked my hair gently to encourage me to sleep, but I was awake enough now. I heard a smashing sound and I rose up into a sitting position automatically, startled. I winced and cried out softly, and the noise downstairs immediately halted, and without so much as a whisper of noise, my entire family was b my bed, arms reaching out protectively. My father checked my IV and supported my shoulders as he laid me down.

"We shall not discuss this further. It is upsetting Sophia," he said firmly and my family nodded, contrite. Only Rose remained defiant.

"She shouldn't be anywhere near him" she flared up.

Carlisle held up his hand towards her, whilst glancing meaningfully at me. She was quiet at once, and stroked my hair in apology.

"It is safer than he comes here, where we can watch over her," he said, in a final voice that brooked no argument. My head spun – he? Embry? Come here? I was pleased – and slightly frightened, due to Leah – and also worried. My family was so dead set against it – what would happen when he came?

**What do you guys think? Let me know, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Embry's POV

I stood on the edge of the forest, my hands shaking as the smell of vampire hit me. My Alpha, Sam, stood beside me. In accordance with the vampire's requests, I was to go alone to see Sophia. Sam was not in the least happy with this turn of events, but it was either I was not allowed to see Sophia and my pain would poison the rest of the pack through our mind link, or I go to see her alone. He touched my shoulder.

"If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you should leave at once," he said. I nodded, but his spoke in an urgent tone.

"Seriously, Embry. She will be well looked after by them – what is important that you come back to us. If you feel uneasy, like they will attack, you should leave. At least then you will have seen her and will feel better, and you come back fine." I nodded again, I understood the need to come back to my pack safe, but I also slightly resented Sam being on edge about my seeing her.

"I will be careful," I promised. "But how would you feel…if it were Emily there? Wouldn't you put up with anything, just to see her?" I asked.

I saw Sam shudder, and mentally wrestle with the question. He was clearly torn, between my safety and warning me to get out if I sensed danger, and his feeling like he couldn't say that because he knew that if it were Emily, then he would do anything to be there with her.

"Well," he settled for, "we will be as close as we can. Howl if you need to" he said firmly, and I nodded for a third time. We were quiet then as the vampire smell intensified, and we knew the vampires were there. Tw of them came into view, the tall blonde one they called Jasper, and a blonde female. Before I had met Sophia and before I had ever learnt that she was a true vampire, I would probably have considered her stunning. But I had now seen the most beautiful girl in the world – I now couldn't even think of the lovely blonde before me as attractive. I just didn't see any girl like that anymore – all I saw and thought about, every minute of every day, was Sophia.

The vampires eyed us. I took a deep breath, clapped Sam on the shoulder, and strode forward to join them.

"Hello," I said quietly. I didn't know what else to say really – I knew they must blame me for Sophia's injuries. Jasper gave a short, sharp nod to me, but Rosalie merely glared. Without a word, she turned around and began running towards their house.

"Follow us," Jasper said shortly, and he too ran. Shrugging off my shorts, I began to phase, feeling the tremors spread down my limbs.

I hit the ground and followed the vampires silently as we headed to their houses. After a while, however, long before we were due to arrive at their house, they began to slow down; they stopped as soon as we were far enough from the border to not be overheard. My heart rate increased – was Sam right? Was I about to be ambushed?

Sophia's POV

I wriggled about impatiently in bed, shifting under my sister's hands.

"Alice, it's fine," I whined. She sniffed, patting my hair one last time before leaving me alone. I knew she was unhappy about Embry coming to see me, but I couldn't help feeling a little excited alongside my apprehension. I was nervous but I also remembered the feeling of his hand on mine, how the heat had felt on my palm. I secretly wished that I didn't have hideous stitches in my head and a plaster cast on my wrist. My family was making sure that I was wrapped in cotton wool to make sure that I was recovering as soon as possible and was as comfortable as possible. All the members of my family had been in to my room to see me at least three times this morning, their expressions tense.

"Just remember, if you feel unwell, tell us straight away," my dad said.

"And if you want to rest, let us know," my mum added.

"If you want him to go, tell us," Em said with a frown.

"And if he upsets you in the _least_ –" Rose started, before I cut them all off and finally got a word in edgeways.

"I will be fine!" I said. I huffed a little to let them know their babying was not appreciated.

"Well, we will be with you the whole time," Alice said in what she clearly thought to be a reassuring ton of voice. I sat up sharply at that.

"What?!" I exclaimed. All of their faces were impermeable, and unyielding. I knew I would not budge them on this point. Brilliant – how was I supposed to get to know Embry better with them watching our every move? Rose and Jasper left to escort him from the house, but after half an hour, we all began glancing at the clock.

"Shouldn't they be back yet?" I asked uneasily. I saw my mum and dad exchange glances.

"I'm sure it's fine, dear," my mother said.

My voice rose. "Where are they? What's going on? What could possibly be taking so long…."

Please review! What do you think of this chapter? What would you like to happed between Jasper and Rosalie and Embry – let me know! Please review, it means so much to me to get reviews!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Hi guys! I am sorry about the late post – I was hoping for a few reviews suggesting what people would like to read in the coming chapters, then I got really, really busy – but I will update as often as possible now. Pinky promise! Please review

Embry's POV

As we neared the vampire's house, I sensed a change in the atmosphere surrounding me. On the one hand, there was a calm seeping from the left of me, as though it were following a wind, towards the right of me. It took me a moment to realize that the strange feeling of calmness was emanating from Jasper, and it was aimed, mist-like, towards the blonde female. I furrowed an eyebrow in surprise at this, mystified. How was he doing this? And why did he feel the need to calm her down? Alert, I tracker her movements out of the corner of my eye in case she was planning to attack, but as a result of the weird calm invisible mist, I saw that her posture as she ran was relaxed, her face neutral.

Both of them slowed down, and I matched my pace to theirs automatically, until we reached a standstill at the edge of a river. Beyond the river, some way ahead, was a cavernous white house, and instinctively a little whine of longing slipped from my mouth. I knew instinctively that this was where Sophia was, and wherever she was, I was destined to be.

At my whine, Jasper tensed, and his expression altered, becoming angry. His hands raised almost instinctively in front of him, slightly extended, his fingers drawn back as though he were preparing to launch himself at me. A vicious hiss tore through his mouth, and the blonde girl, as though mimicking him, crouched slightly, preparing to spring. I stood, stupefied, and unable to move. On the one hand, I was desperate to run, run as hard and as fast as I could towards Sophia, but I knew that they would follow me. I would go through anyone and anything to get to her, to make sure she was safe, but I also knew that to harm her family would be to destroy her. That was something I was incapable of doing; the very thought froze me to the ground and locked me there, like stone. I did the only thing I could think of.

Inside of my head, my brothers, silent up until now, were watching my every movement, and as the vampires tensed before me, Paul launched himself out of his position in the woods, intent on finding me to help me.

"No!" I shouted mentally. I knew this was my only chance, and Paul could ruin it. I heard Sam wrestle with himself and I knew I had to convince him.

"What if it were Emily?" I asked softly, echoing my earlier thoughts. He blanched at the thought of her ear the vampires, but I could see I was winning. He, too, may have made the same decision as I was about to make and eventually, with a sigh, ordered Paul to retreat.

"Thank you," I thought to him.

"I hope you know what you are doing," he replied softly. As I willed my body to be calm, and the tremors flowed down my limbs, changing me, I only hoped that I did know what I was doing.

At my movement, the vampires looked ready to spring but phasing back took only a few seconds so I was able to show my willingness to be before them in a weaker form in order to show my intentions of calm. I carefully spread my hands in front of them, and spoke.

"I have no wish to fight," I said slowly.

"No, you have other thoughts. Thoughts about Sophia that – " the blonde one started.

"That's enough, Rose," Jasper said sharply. He looked at me, and however he did whatever he did, he was clearly doing it to me. Apparently satisfied, he nodded abruptly.

"As long as you don't even _think_ about her like that again…." He said.

"It wasn't like that!" I interrupted quickly. "Not at all! I miss her is all…."

They both looked at me.

"_Miss_ her?" the blonde said scornfully.

I stood my ground. "Yes. I belong to her now. Every action on this earth that I do from now until I die is for her. Only for her. I meant no disrespect to her - I would never upset her or think about her in a way that she doesn't want me to. Ever. I just want her to be happy," I stated.

Jasper, I could see, felt my true sincerity. He nodded curtly, and murmured to Rose,

"He speaks the truth." He looked again at me. "I will say what we stopped here to say. That if you harm her in any way, at any point in her life, you will pay." His expression left me in no doubt in what way.

I nodded solemnly.

Sophia's POV

I jiggled my foot in impatience. Clearly, something was about to happen, as all of my family had assembled themselves in my room. I heard the downstairs door open, and footsteps echo along the stairs. My entire family tensed, my mother flitting to my side to stroke my hair. I looked up into her golden eyes, and saw worry in them. I placed my hand in hers and she smiled faintly. Then the door to my room opened, and Embry walked inside.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

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Sophia's POV

As he appeared in the doorway, I drank in the sight of him. It was the first proper look at him that I had been able to have when I was not distracted by the situation at hand. He was tall – very tall, taller than any of my family. His eyes were a deep brown, and his hair was ebony black, and stuck up a little, framing his face. He was muscular yet lean, and he walked with an almost unconscious grace to his gait. But what really caught my attention was the expression on his face.

What an expression! He was staring at me….in an odd way. Not in a help-I-have-a-stalker kind of way, but a warm kind of way. Like…I was special to him. His eyes drank me in, and his full lips curved slightly into a smile as looked at me, and I couldn't help but blush under his gaze. I felt my cheeks warm gently as this….well, I'll be honest, rather attractive guy, who was staring at me. I felt my brother Em shift as he saw me blush, and I saw his eyes narrow as he regarded Embry.

Embry was flanked by Jasper and Rose as he walked, and they stopped a clear few feet away from my bed, clearly with the intention that Embry would stop with them. He checked slightly but carried on walking closer to my bed. Em started to take move forward slightly, but my dad shook his head slightly and Em relaxed his stance slightly, his eyes watching Embry intently.

Embry took a few small steps closer to me before halting close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from him.

"Hi," I said nervously, my voice coming out in little more than a squeak. He looked enchanted at the mere sound of my voice.

"Hi," he echoed, his voice deep and mellow. His eyes curiously looked me over, focussing on the visible bandages, and I saw a groove between his two eyes form.

"How are you?" he asked, and there was a tenderness in his voice that made me smile slightly, and made Rose hiss.

"I'm OK," I said softly, ignoring the ache in my wrist and ribs. This was too much for Rose.

"OK!" She shrieked, advancing towards the bed. "You're lying there, half-dead, covered in bruises, which is _his_ fault and – ." she was stopped by my dad walking briskly over to her.

"Rosalie," he said in a voice ringing with authority. "What happened with Sophia was not Embry's fault, as we discussed. Embry is here to see Sophia, and he will be allowed to do so." His voice filled the room, and Rosalie, chastened by the comments, nodded slightly and turned to leave the room. As the door shut behind her, an awkward silence filled the room.

I cleared my throat, everyone looked at me expectantly. I hesitated, before rushing out with my request.

"Can I talk to Embry alone please?" I said. The reaction from my family was predictable, but my father, after studying my expression closely, nodded and the decision was made. As the door shut again, I looked at Embry, and saw him looking at me again. Nervously, I smiled at him, and was rewarded with a full beam from him. I blushed yet again, and shyly patted the edge of my king-size bed for him to sit. He sat gracefully, and we began to talk.

Embry's POV

As I sat talking to Sophia, I allowed the feeling of completeness to fill me up and radiate from me. I hadn't realised just how incomplete I was as a person before I met Sophia, and how wrong I had felt when I wasn't with her. As we talked, I noticed how her hair gently waved over her shoulders, how her eyes seemed to pierce through mine, and how she gesticulated with her hands as she talked. I also saw her bandages, and I winced internally every time she moved, in case it hurt her.

What Rose had said had hurt me – not superficially, which was the way she intended to hurt me, but had hurt me deeply. She was right, after all. If she hadn't have met me, Leah would never have kidnapped her. She would be beautifully happy, healthy and undamaged. I suppressed a shudder at the thought of bringing pain to her life, and focussed on her now, laughing and joking with her and enjoying the sensation of being with her.

After what seemed like five minutes – but was in reality about three hours, according to the pink clock on Sophia's bedside table – her mum came to see us. After politely knocking, she peeped her head round the door, and mentioned that Sophia might need to rest now. Taking the hint immediately, I stood, and said goodbye.

"I will see you again?" she asked, a tinge of shyness to her voice. She didn't need to be shy – not with me. I loved every fibre of her already.

I nodded emphatically. "You will see him soon again," Esme confirmed. She nodded, reassured, and I gently reached out to touch her hair and stroked a few strands of her hair.

"Goodbye," I said quietly.

"Goodbye," she said. I walked to the door her mother held open for me, and looked back to get one final glance at her. She smiled, and happiness engulfed me. She was happy – that was all that mattered to me. As I walked down the corridor, Carlisle appeared from the doorway to one of the rooms.

"Embry, may I speak with you alone?" he asked solemnly. I hesitated, unsure, but I nodded, and followed him into the room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Embry's POV

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I warily followed the handsome blonde vampire into a room that I guessed was his study. In front of a large oak table there were several comfortable looking chairs and lining the walls were vast shelves containing what must have been thousands of books. On another wall there were what looked like tapestries of some kind, but before I could focus on them, the blonde vampire invited me to sit. Awkwardly, I walked over to one of the chairs and sat gingerly down, and he sat in the other, elegantly crossing one leg over the other.

He regarded me with interest, and, I thought, kindness. Before the silence could get awkward, he spoke.

"I would like to apologize for my daughter Rosalie's behaviour earlier," he began, the topic of the conversation surprising me. I had noted that she didn't like me – loathed me, actually, to be more accurately – but it didn't particularly bother me. Before Sophia it would have, and I might have said something, but I had no desire to do anything to harm Sophia, and for all I knew, arguing with the blonde might make her upset, and that I couldn't do.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter," I said. Carlisle shook his head, strands of blonde hair falling over his curiously amber eyes.

"It matters. You are a guest in our house – she was discourteous and that was rude of her. I can only apologize for her," he said with conviction. I stared, not sure what to say, and finally settled mumbling that it was no problem. Carlisle nodded seriously at my words.

"Am I really a guest?" I asked sceptically.

"Yes. You are a guest in my house and of my family," Carlisle confirmed.

"Why?" I asked. "I mean…" I hesitated, then plunged in. "I'm really happy you've asked me here, and to see Sophia is all I want," I glanced at him then, worried he may have the same reaction as Rosalie to my words but he merely looked at me, considering. "But you didn't have to let me here. As far as you're concerned, I am your enemy, born to kill your kind. I would have thought that you would have run as far and as fast from me as possible, to somewhere that I couldn't find you." I suppressed a shudder at the thought of never seeing Sophia again. "Especially after everything that has happened," I added as an afterthought.

Carlisle sighed, and I prepared for him to tell me that this was what was happening – that I had been allowed to see her one more time, and now I had seen her, they were going.

"I have never regarded you as my enemy, Embry," he began. "I have an abhorrence of killing and fighting, and I wish only to live in peace with the Quileutes. So I have never viewed you as my enemy. As for your other points…" he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Certainly, after we discovered the imprint, we had to have a discussion about it. I will be honest with you – leaving Forks was one option we discussed. However, we decided against it, partly for Bella's sake – if we left, with Sophia being your imprint, we certainly couldn't have returned, and this would have affected Bella deeply, as well as robbed her of her last chance to say goodbye to her father. So we decided to stay, and we will remain here."

My shoulders sagged with relief, and Carlisle smiled slightly.

"Furthermore, we know something of the imprints that the Quileute's form. Jacob had told Bella of them, and she relayed them to us after you imprinted on Sophia. We know that you cannot leave Sophia now any more than we could leave our partners." At the thought of his wife, Esme, Carlisle smiled.

"We could not inflict that kind of pain onto you," he concluded. "So we are determined, with your co-operation, to find a middle route." I tilted my head to one side as he finished speaking, trying to absorb everything he had said. So he was on my side?

"I'd like that," I said sincerely. He smiled in approval, before his expression turned more serious.

"However, there are many factors at play here. Bella will return and become a vampire – she will need to be away from humans for some time, and we must go with her to watch over her. This will necessitate leaving Forks for some time."

I froze, my muscles tensing in horror at the suggestion that Sophia would leave. Icy fear gripped my heart, and my head turned from side to side, trying to digest the thought. Seeing my reaction, Carlisle automatically leaned forwards and placed a hand gently on my shoulder.

"We shall find a way around this," he said firmly.

"How?" I asked, my words barely coming out from my clenched teeth.

"One option is that half of us remain here with Sophia, although this would be complicated if Bella is supposed to be dead. Another option is that you come with us."

I blinked in shock. Come with them? To help keep a newborn vampire, my enemy, in check? It would mean I had to leave the pack…Carlisle saw the conflicted expression on my face, and patted my shoulder gently.

"We have some time before we must consider this. Before then, we must allow you two to get to know each other." _This_ I liked the sound of better – I barely knew Sophia in real terms, and was desperate to know her further.

Would you like to come again tomorrow?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes….please," I said, nodding, and we shared a smile.


End file.
